Lymington is a very attractive and fairly large town on the edge of the New Forest. It is very much geared up for the needs of the boater, whether sail or power, and perhaps the only drawback are the constant movements of the Yarmouth/Lymington ferries. These shallow draught ferries have absolute right of way, and not much room to play with in the twisting approach channel which is lined with moored yachts.

Lymington has two large marinas, and more budget orientated berthing on the Town Quay, furthermore there are yards and specialists to cope with just about any problem. 

It is accessible at any state of the tide, very sheltered within and is only a couple of miles away from the Needles Channel. Needless to say it is very popular with yachtsman, but a bit on the pricey side. ... read more

Entry to the Lymington River is straightforward, but approach needs to be made from some distance off as salt marshes and shoal water extend a good distance from the shore.   A well marked but twisting channel  leads through the shallows to the harbour, but at most states of the tide there appears to be a vast expanse of water. 

Pilotage information to help the newcomer get in now follows:

In the approach probably the most conspicuous mark will be the Royal Lymington Yacht Club's starting box used for yacht racing. This looks suspiciously like a small Portakabin perched atop a crude timber framework. It lies just to the east of the main channel, so do not aim for this. Instead identify the Jack in The Basket beacon, which is red and lit (Fl.R.2s). This red pile is topped by a basket (strangely enough), and is labelled clearly with white lettering. This beacon lies slightly to the SSW of the starting platform, and is the outlying mark... it needs to be left on your port hand side. The mass of masts in Lymington, and the easily identifiable WightLink ferries coming and going help identify the entrance from a distance. ... read more

Anchoring is not allowed anywhere within the approach channel or the harbour.  The harbour authorities have yacht berths on the Town Quay Pontoon, and also have various mooring buoys.  Otherwise there is Lymington Yacht Haven,  and Lymington Marina, both with the possibilities of visitors berths.  All the options are now covered together with prices:

Most visitors make straight for the Town Quay pontoon, and if planning to head there be aware you could encounter depths of 1.2 m at CD in the close approaches and 1.5 m on the Quay. Most yachts of up to 2 m draft can manage as even at MLWS you can add another 0.7 m to these figures... best check the tide tables. The maximum size accommodated here is 12 m. ... read more